Step Up, Day 48: Why do I always go from the Mountain to the Valley?

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

24 Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.

26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.

27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.

One of the amazing things about our faith that is also incredibly frustrating is that we can be so close to Jesus in one moment and so far from Him in the next. In my own life there’s so many times where I have this amazing experience with God and then find in my very next moment I am filled with temptation.

I don’t believe this is totally a coincidence. We have a very real enemy that loves for the people of God to live in the discouragement and doubts about themselves and their faith. Do not be surprised if in the very same day where you seem to do it all right, you are given ample opportunity in some area of your life to do it completely wrong. Satan knows that if he can hit us in our moments of joy it will be very hard for us to move forward with confidence. Take heed lest we fall but always remember that if you do fall, run back to Jesus, and He is more than able take our failings and turn them into something really beautiful.

PRAY

Take some time as you pray today to consider the areas of your life that are weak, and the areas of your life that are strong. Praise, and thank God for the areas that are strong! Those areas are worthy of celebration and it’s not a sin to celebrate them (I believe it is sin if we don’t celebrate them.) However, don’t ignore the areas in your life that are weak. There’s only one perfect person that ever lived and none of this bear His name. We are going to fail, and we are going to fall. It is unclear whether Gideon ever really saw his failure, but it’s so important that we have open eyes to see where we need to grow. Ask God for forgiveness and for strength to live in victory today.